Tracheotomy set



28, 1957' J. A. VOORHEES ETAL 3,306,297

TRACHEOTOMY SET Filed June 1, 1964 w a 7 Mm C1 7. m L w, M J L w E'JLEE Fi c FLEE TlEl-E INVENTORS (/OHN A, Voowve-es PAUL 6; 5A YL 0? United States Patent Ofiiice 3,396,297 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 TRACHEOTOMY SET John A. Voorhees, Oklahoma City, Okla, and Paul C. Baylor, Hurst, Tex., assigriors to Eel-Mar, Inc., (Oklahoma Citv, kla., a corporation of Oklahoma Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,272 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-305) This invention relates to a compact surgical tool, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it is directed to a portable or pocket instrument for use in performing an emergency tracheotomy.

The prior art discloses various types of pocket knives and related blade instruments, but it does not appear that any of these describe or allude to a compact surgical set of the type Which constitutes this invention. Many tragic consequences have resulted from an emergency situation where there has not been a suitable surgical tool available. This is especially true in cases of choking seizures, not only among children, but also among adults, particularly when breathing obstruction is encountered in public places; e.g., restaurants, etc.

The present invention comprises a compact surgical tool which can be carried in the pocket of the skilled practitioner at all times by a watch chain, fob or whatever. The surgical tool makes constantly available a clean scalpel and an airway tube for whatever emergencies may arise. It will be especially useful for performing an emergency tracheotomy since it contains the scalpel for making the neck incision just below the larynx, and a collapsible, generally V-shaped airway tube for insertion into the incision to the windpipe; whereupon, the airway tube will flex to its open position and allow breathing to take place by by passing any breath obstruction in the laryngeal area or above. When in the folded or carrying position, the handle has a sterile, disposable scalpel blade folded within it, and the airway tube can be inserted into the opposite end of the handle so that it is frictionally engaged to enclose and protect the folded blade and hold the entire folding unit in a compact, closed position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an omnipresent, clean surgical tool for the skilled practitioner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact surgical tool for enabling performance of an emergency tracheotomy.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a pocket tracheotomy set utilizing a disposable surgical blade and having a breathing or airway tube, which also functions as a blade protector and frictional engagement means within the handle of the pocket set.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be evident to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the tool, unfolded and having the scalpel blade detached.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the handle and blade member in the unfolded position.

FIG. 3 shows the airway tube in side view.

FIG. 4 shows a section of the airway as taken along lines 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective side view of the airway tube.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the entire pocket set in the folded or carrying position.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a handle portion 10, a foldable blade holder 12 and a disposable scalpel blade 14. A scalpel blade which has been found to be particularly suitable is one which is commercially available from the Bard-Parker Company, Inc. of Danbnry, Connecticut and is the subiect matter of Patent No. 2,647,311, issued on August 4, 1953. It will be understood, however, that various types of scalpel blades may be used. The

blade 14 is a disposable one having a reinforcing rib 16 and a slot 18 for afiixure to a holding member. In the present invention, the blade holder 12 has an indention 20 which engages slot 18 when the scalpel blade 14 is inserted in blade holder 12 and forced a suflicient distance within it. As shown better in FIG. 2, blade holder 12 is a flat, hollow casing and receives the blade 14 within it. The blade holder 12 has a protrusion 22 on its fold-in edge which serves to protect the scalpel blade 14 in the folded position, as will be described later.

The pivoting end of the blade holder 12 is provided with an elongated slot 24 through which a pivot pin 26 is afiixed, thus affording a hinge connection between handle 10 and blade holder 12. Washer members 28 of suitable material are provided between the moving members to provide a movable, yet firm connection between the handle 10 and blade holder 12. It should be apparent then that when the blade 14 and blade holder 12 are open and pushed into handle 10 to the extent allowed by slot 24, the blade member (holder 12 and blade 14) is locked in its open position. To close, the blade member must be extended or pulled out of handle 10 until pivot pin 26 reaches the other extreme of elongated slot 24; at which time, the blade member can be folded within the handle portion 10 to assume its portable or pocket attitude.

The handle 10 is provided with an opening 30 which can receive a link or holding mechanism for connection to a key chain, key case or whatever carrying means may be desired. The cut-away portion 31 provides a fingernail gripping space for opening the blade.

Referring to FIG. 2, the structure of the handle 10 is shown. It is constructed of a U-shaped channel member having a bottom 32 and symmetrical sides 34 and 36. The pivoting means is more clearly shown as to the firm but rotatable fit afforded by virtue of the washer members 28. Also, this top view shows the flat, yet hollow, blade holder 12 and the manner in which the scalpel blade 14 is received within it to a locked position (as described above).

Referring to FIG. 3 there is shown the breathing tube or airway 38 which is formed in a generally V-shaped (as shown in the cross-section of FIG. 4) and flanged at one end with flanges 40. The airway is sharply folded over along the crown 42 and brought to a sharp point 44 by rounding the sides 46 as shown at 48.

FIG. 5, a perspective view, shows how the two airway sides 46 are folded along crown 42 to form the V-shaped channel. Flanges 40 provide a stop means and a gripping means as will be described later. Airway 38 would preferably be made from material having sufficient resilience characteristics such that it can be compressed flat for insertion into a slit or narrow opening and will tend to assume its open V-shape upon release as will be pointed out below. This function serves both to allow an air passage when inserted in a windpipe incision, and to provide frictional engagement when the tracheotomy set is folded and arranged for carrying (the latter aspect will be fully described below).

FIG. 6 depicts the folded tracheotomy set with the airway 38 stored within the mechanism. This view shows the blade 14 operatively attached in its blade holder 12 and pivoted about pivot pin 26 to the folded storage position within the handle portion 10. When folded, the protrusion 22 on blade holder 12 abuts against the inner bottom 32 of the handle 10 and thereby protects the cutting edge 50 of scalpel blade 14 by maintaining it out of contact with any other interior surface. The airway 38 has been compressed and inserted at the other end 52 of handle It so that the crown 42 of the airway encloses the scalpel blade 14 and holds it firmly in place. When airway 38 has been inserted up to the flanges 40 and finger pressure has been released, the airway 38 will tend toward its V-shape to impose a frictional grip between the outer surfaces of airway 38 and the inner surfaces of the side members of handle 10. Flange 40 also serves as a fingernail grip for lengthwise removal of the airway tube 38; likewise, after removal of airway 38, the reinforcing rib 16 (see FIG. 1) serves as a. fingernail grip accessible through slot 31 in the handle portion 10 for unfolding the blade holder and blade 14.

The airway 38 is preferably made of stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, or other metal having good spring tension capabilities in order that it best carry out its functions of (1) frictional engagement for blade holding in the closed position, and (2) spreading the incised tissues to allow a passageway when in surgical use. Other materials, both metal and plastic, could be used as long as some spreading can be effected after insertion.

It should be apparent then that the present invention constitutes a novel surgical instrument which can be carried on the practitioners person at all times. The instrument may have many and varied uses in different emergency situations and is particularly valuable in the emergency tracheotomy. The tracheotomy set provides complete emergency equipment and is compacted in a manner which affords maximum cleanliness under the conditions wherein it is carried in a pocket at all times.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangemerit of elements as heretofore set forth in this specification and shown in the appended drawings; it being understood that changes may be made in the embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A pocket surgical set comprising:

a handle portion having a bottom and parallel spaced side walls extending upwardly from said bottom; blade means having a generally pointed free end and pivotally attached to one end of said handle portion and positioned in a sheathed position in said handle between said spaced, parallel side walls; and

an elongated, resilient airway member of V-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration and having a crown and a pair of diverging sides and being open at opposite ends, said airway member being frictionally and removably retained in said handle portion and over said blade with said diverging sides being resiliently deformed toward each other from their relaxed position and bearing against the spaced parallel side walls of said handle portion, the crown of said airway member being spaced from the bottom of said handle portion and covering and protecting said blade means and locking the blade in the blade means in a folded, sheathed position.

2. A pocket surgical set as defined in claim 1 wherein said airway member is tapered to a point at one end thereof.

3. A pocket surgical set as defined in claim 1 wherein said blade means has a sharpened edge adjacent the bottom of said handle portion, and a dull edge covered by the crown of said airway.

4. A pocket surgical set as defined in claim 1 and further characterized to include means cooperating with said blade means and handle portion for locking said blade means in an extended position when said blade means is pivoted from said sheathed position to an extended position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,077,545 11/1913 Oberheim 30286 1,108,839 8/1914 Foley 30-55 X 2,647,311 5/1964 Arden 30-156 OTHER REFERENCES The Lancet, May 1964, page 1081.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

G. E. MCNEILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A POCKET SURGICAL SET COMPRISING: A HANDLE PORTION HAVING A BOTTOM AND PARALLEL SPACED SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM; BLADE MEANS HAVING A GENERALLY POINTED FREE END AND PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO ONE END OF SAID HANDLE PORTION AND POSITIONED IN A SHEATHED POSITION IN SAID HANDLE BETWEEN SAID SPACED, PARALLEL SIDE WALLS; AND AN ELONGATED, RESILIENT AIRWAY MEMBER OF V-SHAPED TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION AND HAVING A CROWN AND A PAIR OF DIVERGING SIDES AND BEING OPEN AT OPPOSITE ENDS, SAID AIRWAY MEMBER BEING FRICTIONALLY AND REMOVABLY RETAINED IN SAID HANDLE PORTION AND OVER SAID BLADE WITH SAID DIVERGING SIDES BEING RESILIENTLY DEFORMED TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THEIR RELAXED POSITION AND BEARING AGAINST THE SPACED PARALLEL SIDE WALLS OF SAID HANDLE PORTION, THE CROWN OF SAID AIRWAY MEMBER BEING SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID HANDLE PORTION AND COVERING AND PROTECTING SAID BLADE MEANS AND LOCKING THE BLADE IN THE BLADE MEANS IN A FOLDED, SHEATHED POSITION. 